Critical Health Access Resource and Grant Extensions Act of 2023 or the CHARGE Act of 2023
This bill addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and benefits for homeless veterans, the VA's caregiver programs, and the administration of state homes.
The bill prohibits the VA from providing grants or per diem payments to entities (i.e., grant recipients or authorized entities that provide certain services to homeless veterans) for more than 12,000 transitional housing beds furnished by such entities on average each year.
For a three-year period, the bill increases the maximum rate of per diem payments provided by the VA to entities that furnish services and transitional housing to homeless veterans.
The bill also authorizes the VA, for a period of three additional years, to provide assistance to homeless veterans and veterans participating in the Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. Additionally, the VA may collaborate with one or more organizations to manage the use of VA land for homeless veterans for living and sleeping.
The bill extends the waiver for occupancy rate requirements through FY2024 for state homes for purposes of receiving per diem payments from the VA.
The bill authorizes the VA to continue to provide to state homes medicines, personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and any other equipment, supplies, and assistance available to the VA.
